Friday, November 30, 2012

<<Another New York Islander getting good reviews is Travis Hamonic. "A beast," said one scout. I mentioned this last year, but a couple of teammates said he just had to understand how good he is. Sounds like he's figuring it out.>>

That followed a mention on Nino Niederreiter (9-9-18, leading Sound Tigers in both goals and points) and how good the AHL has been for him.

Jaffe participated at the 15th Maccabiah Games as the captain of the Open Men's Ice Hockey team, leading them to a silver medal. He also played hockey for the University of Michigan from 1987 to 1989. After many years as the color analyst for the New York Islanders, Versus Network, MSG Network, NESN and Rogers Sportsnet, he currently works as an analyst for the NHL Network.

"Going to Israel in 1997 as the team captain was a fun learning and cultural experience that I wouldn't have had if it wasn't for Ice Hockey," Jaffe said.

"My expectations are to help the players understand what a wonderful opportunity it is to experience something unique and special like the Maccabiah Games. It will be an incredible athletic and life experience."

Nystrom will be assisting Jaffe and expects to set a great example for each one of the athletes on the team. He has experience representing the United States at many different levels; from the under-18 Juniors World Cup to representing the United States in the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2010. He also attended the University of Michigan, qualifying for the All Rookie team during his debut season and becoming the captain during his final year at the University. He has also played on many different Teams in the NHL including the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and currently the Dallas Stars.

"It's an exciting day for Maccabi USA to have an NHL player and analyst as the coaching staff for the Open Men's Ice Hockey Team," Schorr commented. "Their contribution to the team will elevate the Games as a whole, along with the support of professional players participating in the return of Ice Hockey at the Maccabiah Games.

"The selection of Billy and Eric was not easy, given the significant number of highly qualified applicants for these coveted coaching positions. Many elite players will participate as members of the USA Open Men's Team due to the appointment of Billy and Eric as coaches."

>>

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Upper Limit may not fall below 67.25 M in any year of the agreement. This is half way between the 11/12 Upper Limit (64.3 M) and the 12/13 UL (70.2 M). "

What does this mean?

Based on the original numbers for 2012/13, the Upper Limit was 70.2M which meant that the Lower Limit was 54.2M and the midpoint was 62.2M.

At the 50% midpoint, the midpoint would fall to 54.56M (+ an additional 182M/30 teams to equal about 60.6M)

Under the PA's proposal the range would widen significantly. For example, it the midpoint was 60M next year, the Upper Limit would be 72M and the Lower Limit would be 48M. This would be a range of 24M, vs the 16M that exists today.

The higher the midpoint goes, the wider the range would become (the opposite would hold true as the midpoint becomes smaller). It would always be larger than the current $16M as long as the midpoint stayed above $40M (as 20% of 40M is $8M).

The PA's clause that the Upper Limit would not fall below 67.25M would become relevant if the midpoint dropped below $56.0416M (120% of $56.0416 is $67.25); the midpoint was 56.3M in 2011-12 but given the change from 57% to 50% would more likely be in play over the next few years.

The PA's proposal would allow the high spending teams to spend 50% more than the cap floor teams (120% / 80% = 1.5); under the expired CBA the range from low to high was only 30% (70.2M / 54.2M =1.295).

The ratio between cap and floor has changed significantly under the expired CBA. In 2005-06, the cap was 39M and the floor was 21.5M, meaning the cap was 81% higher than the floor (39M / 21.5M = 1.81) The PA's proposal would move the ratio back in the direction of the ratio when the last contract was signed.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

While the turkeys met in Manhattan today, game #18 of the season should have been played tonight.

Thanksgiving Eve has been a traditional home night for the Isles and based on results BTL (Between the Lockouts) let's just say it would be a good night for the Nets to play at home starting in 2015.

The Isles at played at home on this night 15 times since the 1994 lockout wiped Thanksgiving off the NHL calendar, missing only 1999, 2004 (lockout) and now 2012 (lockout). After going 5-0-2 between 1995-2002 (losing in OT to Theo Fleury and the Rangers in 2000 and tying (remember those) Ottawa two years later), the Isles have gone 1-4-3 in the last eight (including 1-3-3 since the last lockout). You'll recall last Thanksgiving Eve, when Daniel Briere scored the tying and winning (OT) goals after the Isles had an early 3-1 lead. A locked-out Alan Hahn tweeted afterwards "DiPietro was loss for words (rare) for those ridiculous bounces that led to goals".

Game 18 is an interesting reference point, because that means the Isles were scheduled to play 64 games after tonight -- which is equal to the intra-conference games under the current schedule format.

Will we get anywhere close to those 64 games? Who knows. The issue for the NHL and for the players should be the growing sentiment among fans and sponsors of "who cares".

At least there's football tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Monday, November 19, 2012

According to LIBN http://libn.com/2012/11/19/monti-ratner-picked-for-nassau-hub-project/ Bruce Ratner, who helped lure the Islanders to Brooklyn, will be "selected to either rebuild the aging Coliseum at the site or construct a new sports/convention arena that will be designed by Populous, an internationally known arena architect".

Populous (formerly HOK sport) has designed premier sporting venues around the world, including the Olympic Stadium in London and CitiField. Ironically, the company is headquartered in ... wait for it... Kansas City, Missouri.

The development rights for the 77-acre parcel will be awarded to Donald Monti of Plainview-based Renaissance Downtowns,according to LIBN.

The Ratner angle may help explain Charles Wang's rather gracious comments about Ed Mangano when the Isles announced their move 3 1/2 weeks ago.

Monti was interviewed by Islanders Point Blank over the summer http://islanderspointblank.com/news/exclusive-renaissance-downtowns-ceo-donald-monti-if-charles-wants-to-stay-here-i-think-we-can-help-make-it-happen/ and stated his intention to keep the Islanders on Long Island.

"I go back to the four successive years that they won the Cup and at that time I was a season ticket holder. To me it would be an absolute shame for any area to lose a professional franchise. What's going to keep the Islanders here is a positive momentum and we have to make sure that's the message that resonates constantly. I think I'm the only respondent that's committed to do that."

Monti wasn't right on one point: "Certainly Brooklyn beats Kansas City," Monti said when the subject of the Islanders moving in 2015 was broached. "But there's something that tells me if Brooklyn could have been done, it would have been done."

With Ratner involved in this project one has to wonder whether the Islanders' time at the Coliseum could end before 2015. If the NHL could get an agreement done with its players anytime soon (and preserve a 64-game season), it would appear that there would be 114 games left on the Coliseum lease for the Isles.

I wonder how many of those 114 might end up being played in their new home in Brooklyn.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

<<According to the Ässät official site (h/t Francesca, he suffered an injured hand Saturday and is expected to miss approximately two months. >>

Joensuu's team is middle of the pack in the 14-team Finnish league but Joensuu was tied for 5th in scoring in the league (11-13-24) while banging out 67 penalty minutes. (his teammate, a Penguin draftee from Nova Scotia -- not Sidney Crosby, but Stephen Dixon, is 3rd in league scoring)

More from Lighthouse here: http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2012/11/19/3666946/jesse-joensuu-injured-hand-new-york-islanders-assat

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Had the NHL season started on time, many believed that Nino Niederreiter would have still opened the season with Bridgeport.

With the NHL locked out, there was no decision to make and Niederreiter has been a model of consistency at the AHL level. The Sound Tigers have played eight games this month, and Nino has at least one point in all of them, going 5-6-11 in the 8 games and is now 9-8-17 in 14 games this season.

David Ullstrom had his second consecutive 2 goal, 1 assist game today, as Bridgeport pounded Providence 6-2. Anders Nilsson picked up both wins as the Sound Tigers moved into a tie for the AHL league in team wins: 10.

Bridgeport will face the Phantoms in Glens Falls on Wednesday before hosting the Whale (Rangers) on Friday.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Rick DiPietro denied a report by a German newspaper that he was injured in a text to the Post's Brett Cyrgalis. http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/dipietro_not_hurt_in_germany_PSm4PD74691zCABKewZLfN

Perhaps it is time for the follow-up question: why are you not playing?

DiPietro has now not appeared in a game in over a month...including Friday's 5-4 SC Riesersee win over Bietigheim. Bietigheim is the team Josh Bailey joined and Bailey had a goal and two assists in the game, giving him 5 points in his first two games in Germany.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

With the lockout continuing, MSG has put together a series of 16 regional rivalry games, including 8 Islander-Ranger games.

The series will debut on Monday at 9pm with game 5 of the 1984 Patrick Division Semifinals. Pretty sure Ken Morrow wins this one. :)

Update: This broadcast utilizes original audio from the Islanders telecast on SportsChannel, with Jiggs and Eddie.

Stan Fischler's memories of that night are here: http://www.msg.com/blogs/stan-fischler/greatest-rivalries--rangers-islanders--april-10--1984.html

I drove home from college to work the SportsChannel telecast that night. My most vivid memory -- passing Frank Brown -- then of the Daily News in the Coliseum stairwell that led to the press box in the overtime intermission. I remember asking him who would win-- his response "we both know who SHOULD win" (the Rangers) -- my response "we both know who WILL win" -- 7:56 into overtime, Morrow made sure I wasn't a liar.

Update: Perhaps Dave Maloney said it best on the wrap-up of the game that he recently taped: "That Ranger team was as good a team as I probably played on. There were so many times when you played the Islanders that you felt you were good enough to win...but you never won. To me, that was the magic of the Islander franchise. They always found a way to win. And that night, it happened to be Ken Morrow."

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

If not for Gary and Donald, there would be hockey tonight at the Coliseum -- in fact the Islanders and Rangers would have met for the first time this season--on the 33rd anniversary of one of their most famous games.

Last year, I started putting together an Isles "40 in 40" series -- maybe someday I'll even finish it. Moment #26 dealt with this famous game...might we see another game anytime soon? Who knows ...and I know a lot of people who are now saying...who cares.

However, two regular season games that the teams played in 1979 are remembered by fans of both teams as more than regular season games.

The first was played on February 25, 1979 at Madison Square Garden. That night a Denis Potvin hip check inspired a chant that remains three decades later.

After the Islanders would clinch first place overall by winning at Madison Square Garden on the final day of the regular season that April, the Rangers upset the Islanders in a classic playoff series, winning game six on Garden ice. (In some ways, the Isles were lucky to get this series to six games, winning twice in overtime.)

All of that is only background to Moment #25, which would be the first meeting of the teams after that playoff series.
The Islanders struggled out of the gate the following season, and were below .500 (5-6-3) when they entertained the Rangers on November 13th.
That game would produce two words that Islander fans would always remember: Double Chili.

In those days, the Islanders needed six goals to send their fans to Wendy's the next day for Chili.
It didn't start out that way. Steve Vickers scored first for the Rangers, midway through the first but Billy Harris and Bryan Trottier responded to give the Isles the lead later in the session. A Don Maloney goal tied the game heading into the first intermission.

The second period though was all Islanders. Trottier scored three minutes in and when Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin scored 12 seconds apart, the rout was on. Wayne Merrick scored the Chili goal 7 1/2 minutes into the period and by the time the session ended Billy Harris (shorthanded) and Stefan Persson had made it 8-2 in favor of the Isles.
As it so happens, a Wendy's executive was at the game and over the PA came the famed announcement that if the Isles reached 10 goals it would be Double Chili for all. All except Phil Esposito, that is, who made an obscene gesture upon hearing the announcement.
Midway through the third period, Garry Howatt and Denis Potvin scored 2:50 apart, raising the Isles' total to ten, and the Coliseum scoreboard told the story.

A few years ago, a highlights package was put together on youtube. The video quality is actually quite good, considering the age. The highlights are from the MSG broadcast, with the late Jim Gordon and the late Bill Chadwick at the microphones. (Somewhat ironically, the package runs 7:11)

Earlier in the 2011-12 season, the Islanders needed seven games to score ten goals. In their 10-5 win over the Rangers on November 13, 1979 they did it in 41:29.

Moment #25 needs just two words: Double Chili.

When I think of Double Chili, I also think of Jeffrey Bourne, who was born two days before this game in Syosset Hospital. Bobby missed this game, and this was how his teammates responded.

Postscript: from longtime Isles' voice Howie Rose: "Don't forget my initiation upon taking the Islander job (in 1995)....Once the deal was done, Barbara took me to the Wendy's on Jericho Turnpike off of Brush Hollow Road for a heaping double bowl of Chili. It's actually much better than Skyline Chili in Cincinnati which somehow has achieved iconic status."

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick